The gray whale had apparently gotten off course on its migration to Alaska. At one point, the whale swam close to the rocky shore and dodged several sailboats anchored in the bay. San Diego lifeguards followed the whale, guiding it back to the ocean.

Whale watching boat captain Chris Switzer said the whale was a juvenile.

The wayward whale eventually made it out of the bay. Experts say whales should have already arrived off the Alaskan coast by this time of year. The hope is the whale will continue moving north to Alaska so that it can feed and get ready for the trip back down the west coast to Mexico, which typically begins in December.